Telescopic sight



Dec. 11, 1951 FORD 2,578,130

TELESCOPIC SIGHT Filed May 29, 194-! 5 v Thor has, L. Ford 3&5 W

Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

TELESCOPIC SIGHT Thomas L. Ford, Tyler, Tex. AppIication May 29, 1947, Serial No. 751,332

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in telescopic sights and especially those sights utilized on rifles and similar small arms.

The invention is in some respects an improvement upon the telescopic sight set forth in my co-pending application filed December 6, 1946, Serial No. 714,411, now U. S. Patent No.'2,496,045, issued January 31, 1950, but includes much of the structure and many of the features of said application.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved. reticule mounting of a more simple and compact nature.

Where in my former invention a gimbal mounting using longitudinally offset and quadrilaterally spaced screw pins, was employed for adjustably supporting the reticule cylinder, it is an object of this invention to provide a ball and socket type of mounting, whereby the screw pins and the gimbal ring are eliminated and a more substantial and compact adjustable reticule support is obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable reticule mounting which will better withstand the recoil or shock incident to the firing of the rifle; in which there will be less wear of the parts; wherein a more rugged structureis embodiedand whereby less play in the movable parts is had.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

, The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a telescopic sight constructed in-accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional view of the reticule portion of the sight,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is anenlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a view of the reticule mounting.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 designates an elongated tubular telescope barrel which may be of any suitable or desirable construction capable of use with the invention. In describing thel ijrv vention, it will be assumed that the elements-are in the positions they would occupy when the sight is mounted on the barrel or frame of a firearm, although no such mounting is illustrated.

At its forward end, which is at the left side of Fig. 1, the barrel carries a suitable objective lens arrangement i I, the details of which are not essential to the invention. An adjusting block or fixture I2 is secured on the barrel between its rearward end and medial portion, while a reticule unit, indicated generally by the numeral |3,is mounted in the medial portion of the barrel and includes, a sleeve i=2, a reticule cylinder or tube [5 and a bushing l6.

The block l2 may be secured in the barrelin any suitable manner, as by horizontal and, vertical screws, ll and 18 respectively, or by welding. The inner surface of the block is concavedso as to conform to the surface contour of the barrel. The block is formed with a vertical or upstanding collar l9 and a lateral or outwardly directed collar 20, preferably at right angles to each other. The barrel has a transverse arcuate opening 2|, located to give access to the rearward end of the reticule cylinder l5, through the collars l9 and 20 for the purpose of adjusting said cylinder.

The sleeve It, being fastened in the barrel in any suitable manner, has a thickened wall 22 at its rearward end formed with a forwardly flared counterbore 23 and a tubular shank 24 extending rearwardly from said head. The shank has a bore 25, coaxially aligned with the counterbore 23. Around the rearward end of the shank, a stationary spherical supporting element, or a ball type collar or head 26 is provided. The forward end of the cylinder I5 is swaged or shaped to form a; movable spherical supporting element or socket 21 snugly engaging around the head, whereby a universal mounting is provided.

The cylinder, or at least the socket portion thereof, is formed of relatively thin resilient metal, however, the socket is free to move freely on the head. The socket and cylinder are formed with longitudinal slots 28, spaced quadrilaterally and circumferentially thereof, as is shown in Figs. 2, 4: and 6. A pin 29, disposed radially in the head, has its outer end protruding into one of the slots 28 and prevents transverse rotation of the socket on the head. Adjacent to the slot receiving the pin 29, a longitudinal kerf or slot 3% extends rearwardly from the forward edge of the socket, but terminates short of the rearward end of the slot. This kerf is preferably parallel to the adjacent slot so that an elongated resilient finger 3! is formed which bears against the pin 29. This finger is initially bent toward the pin slot 28, so that when the pin is received in the slot, the finger will be laterally displaced to a degree sufiicient to admit the pin, but will bear, in a resilient fashion, at all times against the pin and thus prevent circumferential play of the reticule cylinder with respect to the sleeve I4. By reason of the circumferentially spaced slots 28, the socket 27 is yieldable and frictionally grips the head 26; while the finger 3! being under spring tension, owing to its resiliency and displacement into the adjacent slot 28, exerts its spring tension against the pin 29.

The reticule cylinder carries the usual reticule 32 in its rearward end which is relatively remote from the cylinder mounting, so that, as the reticule support is swung vertically and horizontally to adjust the sight for elevation and windage respectively, the reticule moves a minimum distance longitudinally of the barrel I3, said movement being the horizontal component of the swinging movement of the reticule support, so that the reticule proper remains substantially at or near the focus point of the lens system being utilized. Thus, as the sight is adjusted for windage and elevation, the reticule remains in relatively sharp focus against the field of sight of the lens system whereby a sharp and distinct reticule image is provided at substantially all times.

Means for not only minutely adjusting the reticule cylinder 15, but for securing it in adjusted positions, must be provided. While the details of the adjusting means are subject to variation, such means must provide for adjusting for vertical and horizontal deviations. For this reason the collars l9 and 20 are formed on the block l2. Each of these collars has internal screw threads 33 (Fig. 5). In each collar a screw-threaded bushing 34 is mounted and each bushing has a screw-- threaded bore 35. A screwethreaded core 36 is mounted in the bore of bushing 36 in the collar I 9; While a substantially duplicate core 31 is mounted in the bushing of the collar 29.

Each bushing has at its outer end a reduced annular boss 36 which telescopes, without contact, the inwardly directed, externally screwthreaded flange 39 of a closure cap 40. The cap flanges are screwed into the threads 33 and each cap has a radially directed, annular lip M which engages and overhangs the outer edge of its respective collar. As shown (Fig. 5) the caps and bushings are so dimensioned as not to contact each other. The periphery of each cap lip may be suitably roughened to provide a finger grip.

Making for convenient and ready adjustment of the cores 36 and 31, each boss 38 is formed with a diametrical groove 42, of sufficient width and depth to receive the cap lip 4!, when the cap is removed from its collar, whereby the core may be rotated to advance or retract it. Each core is formed on its inner end with a concave sump 43, thus providing a fiat, annular bearing ring 44 on the end of each core. It will be obvious from a. comparison of Figs. 1 and 5. that only the fiat ring 44 of each core will engage the outer surface of the cylinder I5, on a diametrical line, longitudinally of such barrel and thus, While adequately securing the reticule cylinder in adjusted positions, will not score the surface thereof.

Since the reticule cylinder 15 is mounted for universal movement and since the cores 36 and 31 engage'the cylinder at points spaced 90 on its circular surface, some means for supporting said cylinder in contact with the cores, must be provided. Rearwardly of the opening 2| in the barrel, the bushing I3 is snugly fitted and held in the bore of said barrel by the screws l8 of the block 12. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the bushing has a longitudinal recess 45 in its outer surface diametrically opposite a point intermediate the points at which the cores 36 and 31 engage the cylinder. The recess receives a leaf spring 46, which is fastened in said groove by a machine screw 41. This spring extends under and beside the cylinder I5 and is sufiiciently stout to hold the said cylinder firmly in yieldable engagement with rings 44 of the cores. It is obvious that various minute adjustments of the reticule 32 may be obtained by rotating the core 36 for vertical adjustments, while lateral adjustments may be made by rotating the core 37.

Due to the amplified contacting areas of the head 26. and the socket 21 and the relatively remote points of contact of the cores, it is possible to make relatively wide adjustment of the reticule while the effect of parallax is minimized. When in my former invention, supra, the reticule mounting involved pivotal supports on pointed screws, the invention herein set forth employs a broad surface contact between the ball-type head 26 and the socket 21 and thus is more rugged in the presence of shock and recoil and will better withstand the same.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as Well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A reticule support for telescopic sights including, a tubular support, a ball-type head extending from the support and having a bore alined with the bore of the support, a reticule cylinder having a socket at one end movably receiving the head, said socket having a plurality of slots extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reticule cylinder, a reticule at the opposite end of the cylinder, a pin carried by the head and extending into one slot of the socket, said socket having an additional slot extending substantially parallel to one of the first named slots to form a resilient finger contiguous to said first named slot, said finger engaging and bearing against the pin.

THOMAS L. FORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 2,424,011 De Gramont July 15, 1947 

